Nikon Launches The 36MP D800

Nikon has unveiled the new D800 today which features a 36MP full frame sensor along with all of the video function improvements we saw on the D4.  In an interesting twist, Nikon will also be offering a D800E which is identical except for the omission of the anti-aliasing filter.  This should provide increased sharpness in that variation, but at the expense of possible aliasing on patterned subjects.  With the enormous processing power needed to deal with a 36MP image it comes as no surprise that the D800 is capable of a lower fps burst than it’s predecessor. 4fps in FX mode and 6fps in DX mode.  It’s somewhat puzzling to see that they… more »

Canon Launches Three New Lenses

The long awaited replacement to the Canon 24-70 f2.8 L workhorse has finally been unveiled alongside two unique new prime lenses.  The new Canon 24-70 f2.8 L II is 10mm shorter than it’s predecessor as well as 150g lighter which will make a lot of people happy until they hear the suggested price of $2300!  Canon also launched two new primes which are the first wide angle primes in the world to feature Image Stabilization.  A 24mm f2.8 IS and a 28mm f2.8 IS.  Both lenses appear to be very compact and will likely offer usable low shutter speeds which previously were only possible with a much larger aperture wide angle lens like a 24mm… more »

Keyword editing made easier

Effective keywording is one of the three most important ways to get your site or post found on the internet - along with title and description. But I’ve always found keywording a disorganized chore. Here’s a way to make the job simpler, quicker and more logical.

Remember how in composition 101 class you had to make an outline of topics, content, facts etc.? We used to do this on index cards, one card for each separate fact or topic. We wrote these in no particular order, just as they came to mind or emerged from research. Then we rearranged the stack of cards to create the logical skeleton of the essay. Done this way it was easy to see if there… more »

Combined Photo Mechanic & Lightroom Workflow Video

I’ve posted a detailed video about what makes Photo Mechanic a must have program for many journalists and sports photographers before. But many people also like the easy adjustment tools of Adobe Lightroom. This video walks you through how to setup a workflow that incorporates the best of both of these programs.

LIGHTING STRATEGIES: Exploiting a Single Light Source

There are few things more elegant than lighting a shot with a single light source. It doesn’t always work, but when it does—it’s magical.

Cuba! People-to-people 2012 dream trip for photographers

An great opportunity for an amazing (and legal) culture and people-to-people travel experience awaits a limited group of lucky photogs Everybody knows the mystique of old Habana. Colorful past, music, art and poetry. Incredible 50‘s and 60‘s cars carefully maintained. Beautiful old houses. Glamorous show clubs and equally glamorous tropical paradise. But Cuba has been out of bounds for Americans for decades. No legal travel permitted. Fines and potential imprisonment.

Hands On With The Canon G1 X

Canon surprised many people with the introduction of this camera last week.  A large (1.5′) sensor camera with a fixed zoom lens is a unique product in the marketplace and I can see it being a popular solution with their target audience being people who already have a pro DSLR.  At CES this week in Las Vegas I was able to get my hands on a G1 X and also to have a quick chat with Canon representative Ben Thomas about the camera.

For… more »

Nikon At CES With The New D4

At the beginning of January Nikon launched their new flagship pro camera, the D4.    At CES in Las Vegas Nikon had a predictably large presence with the D4 and various other cameras with a strong push towards DSLR video production as well.  I was able to get some hands on time with the D4 to check out some of the new features.

A Look At JVC’s New 4K Camera And The Future Larger Sensor Interchangeable Lens Version

At CES JVC officially launched the GY-HMQ10 which is said to be the world’s first handheld 4K camera.  A walk through the JVC booth also yielded a further surprise though, tucked away in a corner, behind glass was another 4K camera but this one had a Nikon F-Mount.  This is the first time the camera has been shown in public and whilst it’s very much a work in progress , the interchangeable lenses and larger sensor than the HMQ10 make this look like a very interesting proposition with a possible price point of $10,000.  I took a few minutes to talk with Craig Yanagi from JVC about both of these cameras.

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Hands On Impressions Of The Fuji X-Pro 1

Here at CES Fujifilm launched what is set to be one of the hottest cameras of 2012, the X-Pro 1.  All the specs and press release can be found on yesterdays posting but today I was able to get my hand on one for the first time.

Adobe Launches Lightroom 4 Public Beta

Adobe has opened up a free public beta for Lightroom 4.  Once downloaded, users will be able to use LR4 for free until March 31st.  For users of Lightroom 3 it looks to be a fairly gentle upgrade so far, though Adobe have been known to keep back some killer features until launch time.  The biggest feature, that I guess we were all expecting, is the ability to make simple adjustments to videos.  Exposure, tone, contrast and white balance can all be adjusted and the files can be trimmed.

Fuji Launches New X-Pro 1 And 3 Lenses

Fuji has launched their brand new camera system with a new camera, the X-Pro 1 and three fast primes lenses.  The camera follows on from the ever popular X100 with a classic retro styling and is outfitted with a 16MP APS-C sized sensor.  Initially three lenses will be available (18mm f2 , 35mm f1.4 , 60mm f2 Macro) but Fuji has already spoken of two more lenses to come this year and several zooms next year.  It’s only January but this already looks like it could be the hottest camera of the year though it has a $1700 body only price tag that puts it squarely in the pro market.

Canon Creates Its Own Space In The Marketplace With The G1 X

With the mirrorless camera market undeniably in expansion Canon have been the only major manufacturer not to join the party.  Nikon took their time with the 1-Series and rather than battling it out with Olympus, Panasonic and Sony they decided to create their own space for the V1 and J1 cameras by implementing a much smaller sensor than Micro Four Thirds (or APS-C in the case of the Sony NEXs).  This was a smart move on Nikons part as it likely prevented 1-series sales from cannibalizing lower end DSLR sales.  What Canon have chosen to do though is entirely different…

Lexar Introduces 1000x Memory Card

Just in time for CES 2012, Lexar has announced their new 1000x line of cards. Capable of transfer speeds of 150 MB per second, they can handle HD video uncompressed, very fast flushing of the buffer of any still camera, as well as lightning-fast downloads to a computer. It’s the equivalent of a class 20 card.

Datacolor Launches Spyder4 for Simplicity and Accuracy in Color Calibration for all Display Devices

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Datacolor®, a global leader in color management solutions, today introduced Spyder4, a line of highly advanced colorimeters able to calibrate monitors, laptops, projectors, TVs, iPads and even iPhones. Designed to provide photographers and creative professionals with accurate and consistent results, Spyder4 makes quick work of the color correction process.

Hands-on with the HP Envy 110 e-All-In-One

I’ve had the chance to use HP’s new Envy 110 e-All-in-one printer/copier/scanner/fax, and I love it. It’s amazingly easy to set up, has it’s own touch screen to walk you through connecting it to your Wi-Fi (and a LOT more, but we’ll get to that in a bit).